School becomes first in Wales to sign smartphone-free parent pact.

Nant-y-Cwm Steiner School in Pembrokeshire has signed the Smartphone Free Childhood Parent Pact, reported as the first school in Wales to do so; the pact supports delaying smartphones until at least age 14 and social media access until 16.

Nant-y-Cwm Steiner School in Pembrokeshire has joined the Smartphone Free Childhood Parent Pact and is reported to be the first school in Wales to do so. The pact is a UK-wide movement that encourages families to delay giving children smartphones until at least age 14 and social media access until age 16. As a Steiner-Waldorf school, Nant-y-Cwm already operates as a phone-free site and says this is a values-led choice to support learning, play and relationships. The move comes amid wider national attention on children's smartphone and social media use. Key facts: - Nant-y-Cwm Steiner School has signed the Smartphone Free Childhood Parent Pact and is described as the first school in Wales to join. - The pact promotes delaying smartphones until at least age 14 and social media access until age 16. - The school already operates as a phone-free environment and cites improved engagement, concentration and social confidence among pupils. - The pact offers mechanisms such as public leaderboards and parent-to-parent support to build collective commitments within school communities. - In January 2026 the UK government announced a consultation on children's social media use and has set stronger expectations that schools should be phone-free by default, and Ofsted now checks mobile phone policies during inspections. Summary: The school's signing adds to a growing UK movement focused on delaying smartphone use in childhood and aligns with Nant-y-Cwm's Steiner-Waldorf approach to schooling. The school is encouraging parents, carers and community members to join the pact to build local support, while the national context includes a government consultation and Ofsted scrutiny of phone policies.